JCB 406 pivot steer, full rebuild project.

[jd6820]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently in the process of rebuilding my 1994 JCB 406 loader, I'll be rebuilding the engine due to a suspected head gasket, but after further investigation there was wear found at piston rings. So I've decided to completely strip down and rebuild the engine, also the rest of the machine will get an overhaul along with fitting a more efficient water pump, radiator and electric cooling fans, all to help keep the engine cool after being fitted with a turbo-charger. The cab and bodywork are then going to get some attention and new worklights fitted, just to modernise the machine.

I've attached some photos and will continue adding them as I progress through the rebuild, hope everyone finds them as interesting as I do.


A lifting jig I built to allow me to crane engine about without head attached, a Perkins AD3.152 special tool.



Fluid flywheel damper, or at least that's what I hope it is as there is a small pool of ATF oil left where I had it stored.

 

[mad contractor 3]

Keep going with the updates good to see an older machine being rebuilt when it fits it purpose we'll good luck hope you don,t have too many unseen gremlins in the project mc3

 

[Blue.]

Head gasket failure on a perkins,I'm not having it.

 

[multi power]

Head gasket failure on a perkins,I'm not having it.

head gasket went on the massey digger at home, 3 152, mind you it might have got a bit hot too many times

 

[jd6820]

Thanks for all the replies, I'm hoping there isn't too many hidden issues the machine is quite straight in general, I'll get some photos just before I park it in the barn tomorrow. Meanwhile here are some more pics taken last night.

As for head gaskets, these Perkins engines are terrible, can't beat a JD for cooling!

 

[jd6820]

Yet more pictures, this time we have machined a liner removal tool out of a piece of 15mm plate and turned it in the lathe, so it fits snug inside the liner and is stepped out to just less than the bore diameter. This made removing the liners a doddle and hopefully makes fitting them easier to! It took a while to turn the 15mm plate down as it was cut into a square and a circle turned out of the centre using a cutting tool. I'll post some close-ups tomorrow when i've cleaned up the liners to inspect of damage and adjusted some of the welds that I put down on some dirty metal, hence slag pooling.

Sorry about the quality I blame the poor lighting and the I-phone used to take the pictures

 

[jd6820]

Some close-ups of the Perkins Liner removal tool, fabricated out of some 15mm plate and some bar stock we had about.



The end result with the liner complete and no scoring to the bore.



Now starting to clean all the old gasket material off the block ready for the rebuild process, this also allows me time to check for any flaws in the block that might cause further problems.

 

[mad contractor 3]

Quite handy that the block is small enough to get it into the press

 

[Ley253]

Hi,
When you fit the new liners, make sure they are clean and oiled on the outside, also, make sure that the gudgeon pin circlips are fitted correctly, they are known to escape on these engines, so carving up the liner. Valve recesssion is also a problem, though a new head is cheaper than inserts, which can only be fitted to the exhausts in any case. If you do have to fit a new head, pop the valves out for a check, I know of two which had damaged inlet seats. Finaly a water pump overhaul kit is much cheaper than a new pump and is an easy job

 

[jd6820]

Cheers for the advice, I've never rebuilt a dry liner engine so that side of things is a little new to me but the overall principles seem similar to the wet liner rebuilds I'm used to. As far as I can tell the damage seems to have been limited to a head gasket, although I cannot yet see why, the water pump appears to be intact nevertheless I plan to replace/rebuild anyway. As for damaged valve seats I've not seen any problems here, the liners were actually pretty good, I'm just renewing everything as I plan to turbo the engine along with uprating the cooling system. More as a challenge rather than practicality, it will either improve performance and responsiveness or push the engine to the limits.

Just trying to source the right parts for the rebuild, basically I'm thinking I need a standard AD3.152.4 rebuild kit and some 'turbo' engine pistons, I was going to source the parts from my employer who stocks Vapormatic parts but something @John 1594, said has rather put me off using VAP parts, so I'm a little unsure who to go for? Any suggestions?

As for cooling upgrade I've got a big ally radiator that has a built in oil cooler that I'm gonna rig up instead I'm also considering the use of a couple of electric fans for cooling, but these are all just ideas. Probably stupid, I know but I do like to test my engineering skills.

Thanks for the input so far, it much appreciated.

 

[4440]

The 406 will be a loading shovel loader?
Did drive a teleporter one for a time, found it would soon get very hot if worked very hard.
Had to drive it with the bonnet open most of the time.
looks like you are doing a good job.

 

[jd6820]

I would say if you were driving the telescopic version it was maybe a 409 telemaster? Yes, this is a 406 loading shovel renowned for getting hot, something which I'd say is directly related to the poor cooling system it is fitted with. Especially since they had acres of space to put a decent radiator in! Lol

 

[Ley253]

Hi,
Southern counties tractor spares,( 01243 512109) supplied me with a full Bepco kit, inc bearings for £214. 20 inc carriage. I am not sure if you will get much improvement from fitting a turbo, I would think you would need an improved injection pump, and I dont know of a higher output hyd head for a three cyl.One other thing, many people fit the water pump incorrectly. The gasket goes between the pump and the fibre back plate, not between backplate and timing case! Fitted this way causes the impeller to wear a hole in the fibre plate, and then coolant comes in contact with the timing case, and eats a hole through. Many hours are then spent in trying to find how the coolant is getting into the sump! I would obtain a copper head gasket, the Bepco fibre thing on my 253 leyland is ok at the moment, but I have changed many made of the same material on landrovers and peugeots which have failed, both companies have changed to metal laminate, so I think the fiber material is suspect.

 

[jd6820]

Yeah, I was definitely going to go for a copper head gasket, I feel they are a far superior set up to the fibre alternatives. I'll give Southern Counties a ring, as that sounds excellent and I believe Bepco are one of the better spurious suppliers.

 

[Blue.]

What about fitting a hydraulic fan like loadalls?

 

[John 1594]

Cheers for the advice, I've never rebuilt a dry liner engine so that side of things is a little new to me but the overall principles seem similar to the wet liner rebuilds I'm used to. As far as I can tell the damage seems to have been limited to a head gasket, although I cannot yet see why, the water pump appears to be intact nevertheless I plan to replace/rebuild anyway. As for damaged valve seats I've not seen any problems here, the liners were actually pretty good, I'm just renewing everything as I plan to turbo the engine along with uprating the cooling system. More as a challenge rather than practicality, it will either improve performance and responsiveness or push the engine to the limits.

Just trying to source the right parts for the rebuild, basically I'm thinking I need a standard AD3.152.4 rebuild kit and some 'turbo' engine pistons, I was going to source the parts from my employer who stocks Vapormatic parts but something @John 1594, said has rather put me off using VAP parts, so I'm a little unsure who to go for? Any suggestions?

As for cooling upgrade I've got a big ally radiator that has a built in oil cooler that I'm gonna rig up instead I'm also considering the use of a couple of electric fans for cooling, but these are all just ideas. Probably stupid, I know but I do like to test my engineering skills.

Thanks for the input so far, it much appreciated.

wont go far wrong if you can get bepco parts, its a common enough engine so shouldnt be an issue. Failing that, sparex will be pretty good

another word of warning though, for feck sake, dont buy anything off agriline, the customer with this dexta got a lift pump for xmas, when i fitted it, diesel pee'd everywhere because the quality of the castings is so bad they wont mate up where the diaphragm is

so i stripped the innards from it and rebuilt the old one using the new diaphragm and valves

 

[multi power]

dad got bepco engine kit for 690, brother refused to use them as poor quality

my 398 used to need a ew fan belt EVERY year, vap or bepco, last one was genuine mf, not touched it for years now
dubt if mf 10+ parts will be any dearer than others, i was quoted less for gen mf water pump than vap

 

[John 1594]

dad got bepco engine kit for 690, brother refused to use them as poor quality

my 398 used to need a ew fan belt EVERY year, vap or bepco, last one was genuine mf, not touched it for years now
dubt if mf 10+ parts will be any dearer than others, i was quoted less for gen mf water pump than vap

you should try re building an engine with vap bits if you thought bepco was bad!

im sure most of the gaskets were cut out by some indonesian toddler wielding a blunt stanley knife

 

[jd6820]

you should try re building an engine with vap bits if you thought bepco was bad!

im sure most of the gaskets were cut out by some indonesian toddler wielding a blunt stanley knife

Lol, your probably not too far from the truth!

It seems the general consensus is that these spurious parts whichever brand just don't compare with the originals? As for Agriline I am aware that many of their panels are a poor fit and of poor quality so I'd pretty much assumed the rest of their products were of similar quality.

It's starting to sound like I might be better off with genuine JCB/MF parts for the rebuild, I'd like it to be right, so if my modifications do have any chance of working they will and it won't be the poor quality engine parts that let me down.

I've learnt a lot from these first few posts, I've not really used that many spurious parts, certainly no engine rebuild kits so I'm unaware of the quality issues some of you have pointed out, I'm glad I posted this thread, hopefully others will be able to use it as reference for rebuilding their Perkins AD3.152 engines.

 

[Blue.]

Go and see Ryan at dobsons he will sort you out.